Part 17 Christian Universalism is the Answer YES Part 4
Reconcile all, unify all, gather together in one all
This is one of the greatest passages for universal salvation here in Colossians 1:15-20
Colossians 1:15-17 Who is the Image of the invisible God, Firstborn of every creature, for in Him is all created, that in the heavens and that on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities, all is created through Him and for Him, and He is before all, and all has its cohesion in Him." {CLV}
Jesus Christ is the “Image of the invisible God, Firstborn of every creature.” This is not talking about when He was born of the woman Mary. For Christ exist in the heavens before He was born to Mary. He is “Firstborn” of every creature, because He was FIRST. That is He was created first, by God the Father. This tells us He is not God the Father, however He is not just a man don’t get me wrong. This one created, born of God does deserve our praise and worship. That said you should not think that the Father and the Son are one and the same. The Son is Not the Father, that is why He is called the “Son.” A father has a son. A lot more could be said on this, but that will not be covered here. I will not be getting in to the Trinity here. I do not want to get sidetracked from the topic of Christian Universalism.
All is created in Christ, that is in the heavens and on the earth. That is every creature that is in the heavens and on the earth is created in Christ. That is every person, every animal, every angel. The invisible is in the heavens, it is invisible to us here on the earth. I will cover the sovereignties, and authorities etc later in this study.
All that is in the heavens and on the earth was not just created thought Jesus Christ BUT for Jesus Christ. That is you, your family, your friends, your loved ones, were all created through and for Christ. The body of Christ, believers in Christ was create for Christ. However it is not just believers that were created through and for Christ, it is unbelievers as well. For all that is in the heavens and on the earth was created through Christ, that is all mankind, everybody. Are we suppose to think that unbelievers are somehow not included, that they exist on some parallel universe some where.
“All has its cohesion in” Jesus Christ that is in the heavens and on the earth, that was create in him and for him. Every human, animal and spirit entity will have it’s cohesion in Christ. That is will join together with Him.
Colossians 1:18-19 And He is the Head of the body, the ecclesia, Who is Sovereign, Firstborn from among the dead, that in all He may be becoming first, for in Him the entire complement delights to dwell, {CLV}
Jesus Christ is Head of the body of believers. He is Firstborn from among the dead, in that He was resurrected first. The entire complement {fullness} delights to dwell in Christ. This fullness, the complement to Him is the entire creation, all that was created through and for Him, it does not just mean the body, the ecclesia. It is stating a fact, but it does not mean it has suddenly switch to just mean them.
Colossians 1:20 and through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens."{CLV}
This “all” here is the every creature, we have not suddenly switch to talk just about those who believe while they are alive here on earth. For it talks about those in the heavens, these are not believes, the ones in the heavens are the invisible thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities mentioned earlier in Colossians 1. More on them later in the study.
Thus every creature, that is everyone, every animal and the spiritual forces will be reconcile to Christ through the blood of the Cross.
All are going to be reconcile, how can everyone be reconciled, if they are in Hell? He has made peace through the blood of the cross. Christ has paid the price for everyone, no one has been excluded. No one will be annihilated.
Colossians 1:21 And you, being once estranged and enemies in comprehension, by wicked acts, yet now He reconciles" {CLV}
All believers were once estranged, and were in fact enemies, yet now Jesus reconciles them. Thus all enemies, unbelievers can and will be reconciled to Christ through the blood of the cross.
Ephesians 1:9-10 making known to us the secret of His will (in accord with His delight, which He purposed in Him)" to have an administration of the complement of the eras, to head up all in the Christ - both that in the heavens and that on the earth" {CLV}
“complement of the eras” other translations: “fullness of times”
The secret of His will is that there is an administration of the eras or the times. It is during this administration period that over time all will be headed up in Christ. More on this administration later.
Here it is again, all (that’s everybody) are going to be gathered in Christ, there is not some group of sinners that are going to miss out. That is everybody, even you. Note it is all that is in the heavens and on the earth.
Ephesians 1:11 in Him in Whom our lot was cast also, being designated beforehand according to the purpose of the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will, {CLV}
Here again we believers were designated beforehand for the purpose of the One Who is doing according to His Will. This will is to have All Mankind saved, which is what will be accomplished.
And here we see, it is according to His delight or good pleasure to do this, and we already know that God will do all his good pleasure.
Acts 3:20 and He should dispatch the One fixed upon before for you, Christ Jesus, Whom heaven must indeed receive until the times of restoration of all which God speaks through the mouth of His holy prophets who are from the eon. {CLV}
Jesus Christ is in heaven “until the times of restoration of all.” That is when Jesus Christ returns this times of restoration will begin. All will be restored over these times, to begin when Christ returns.
John 3:35 The Father is loving the Son and has given all into His hand." {CLV}
John 6:37-39 All that which the Father is giving to Me shall be arriving to Me, and he who is coming to Me I should under no circumstances be casting out,
for I have descended from heaven, not that I should be doing My will, but the will of Him Who sends Me." Now this is the will of Him Who sends Me, that all which He has given to Me, of it I should be losing nothing, but I shall be raising it in the last day." {CLV}
Notice the Son, Jesus, has already got everybody, ALL has been given into his hand. And this all, that’s everybody will come to him and that they will be raise up.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 Yet all is of God, Who conciliates us to Himself through Christ, and is giving us the dispensation of the conciliation, how that God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of the conciliation." For Christ, then, are we ambassadors, as of God entreating through us. We are beseeching for Christ's sake, "Be conciliated to God!"
Notice God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, Not just those who believe. Believes are conciliated to God through Christ. And unbelievers will also be conciliated to God through Christ, and the ambassadors (believers) are to spread this message.
Confess to God
The following verses are looking forward to the future, at a time when everybody is “acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord.” This is after the resurrection of the dead at the Great White Throne Judgement. In fact this is looking at the point when all are reconciled back to God. The “Every’” in these verses is every person that has existed throughout all of time.
Romans 14:11 for it is written: Living am I, the Lord is saying, For to Me shall bow every knee, And every tongue shall be acclaiming God!" {CLV}
Philippians 2:10-11 that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father." {CLV}
Over translations have the word “Confess” instead of “acclaiming.”
The tongue as an organ of speech.
Confess is EXOMOLOGEO
to acknowledge, to thank, praise and promise, receive unequivocally, so! – unless this confessing is spontaneous and without any coercion, there is no way that it can be to the glory of God.” From http://www.all-creatures.org/ach/book-4.html
Notice every tongue, there is not some group however big or small in Hell, that is not confessing. More to the point there is no group that is in Hell that is confessing. Everyone is confessing, praising God, and all these people have been saved, so of course they are praising God.
Isaiah 45:22. "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23. I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. 24. He shall say, `Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him.
If God has sworn BY HIMSELF that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall take an oath, who has He left out?
Psalm 145:9-10 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.
Here we see again, that everyone will praise the Lord.
All Made New
Revelation 21:4-5 And He will be brushing away every tear from their eyes. And death will be no more, nor mourning, nor clamor, nor misery; they will be no more, for the former things passed away." And He Who is sitting on the throne said, "Lo! New am I making all! And He is saying, "Write, for these sayings are faithful and true." {CLV}
The former things will pass away. Death will be NO MORE, it will have passed away. That is everyone will have been given immortality. No one will have been annihilated for death would not have passed away if that was the case. No one will be stick in the Lake of Fire which is the second death. For the second death the Lake of Fire will have passed away.
There will be no more mourning, nor clamour, nor misery for these will have also passed away. They will be no more, for there will be no reason for these. No one in heaven will be in mourning for someone that has been annihilate or in sorrow for a loved one that is being tormented in hell.
Death Abolished
1 Corinthians 15:25-26 For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy is being abolished: death. {CLV}
This last enemy death is completely abolished, which means ALL forms of death are abolished. That is the second death, the Lake of Fire {Rev 20:14} is abolished it does not go on forever or all of eternity. Therefore no one is in the Lake of Fire forever which is NOT Hell. No one is annihilated, for that world mean they would be dead forever. Thus All, everybody and every creature is given Life, immortality.
So what does happen in the Lake of fire?
Yes people will be cast into the Lake of Fire, but have no fear, God is not going to physically burn anyone. In fact no one will actually physically burn in some god forsaken hell for that does not exist. The Lake of Fire is covered in “Part 20, Christian Universalism is the Answer YES Part 7”
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